Shower-bath.



H. S. BRICKELL.

SHOWER BATH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. :3; 19m:

Patented Apr. 17,1917;

m: mmms P515175 :04 PNOm-LIYND \VASNINGION. n cy HARRY S. BRICKELL, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SHOWER-BATH.

Application filed November 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY S. BRICKELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shower-Batl1s, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improvement in shower baths and relates more particularly to means for controlling and varying the character of the water discharge in the operation of devices of this character.

It is well known by close observers, among those participating in the work of either the therapeutic or the athletic betterment of the human body, that no bath but a shower bath is sanitary, cleansing, healthful, or effective, and that the shower bath must vary, depend ing upon diverse conditions of the human body; and further that, at no time, is it well or profitable to subject the human body to the shock, either of cold or of hot water.

The various conditions of the human body are numerous, and it is a generally recognized truth, that the bath must be arranged in accordance with the requirements of the particular condition of the individual bather. For purposes of illustration the following reference is made to the various uses of the bath which are frequently resorted to The bath for the normal person should be started with a light shower of approxi mately the temperature of the blood, or slightly warmer, and the use of such shower continued until the body is thoroughly rinsed. The shower should then be turned oil and a mist or vapor of hot water resorted to, preferably accompanied by slow dropping of warm water so that soap may be used without being washed off the body. After the body is cleansed a strong warm shower should follow. Following this, the shower should be closed off and a single stream of warm water should be allowed to play up and down the spinal column. When this has been sufficiently done, the single stream may be gradually cooled or be closed and the mist or vapor again introduced, which will immediately accommodate itself to the same temperature as the atmosphere, and the bather should remain in the mist or vapor, until the body becomes cooled to a Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. it, 1917. Serial No. 871,954.

like temperature, thus avoiding colds and other dangers to human health, resulting from sudden changes in temperature. At all times and under all conditions, it is dangerous to shock the kidneys, and the portion of the human anatomy overlying the same cannot with safety be directly subjected to water either too cold or too hot.

Again the conditions of the household often require a bath which is not shocking in temperature or force of stream. Under such conditions, the use of warm water in a mist or vapor accompanied by slow dropping is advisable.

So also at times it is neither'safe, wise, nor convenient, to bring the bath above the shoulders, for instance when the bather suffers from headache or excessive blood in the head, or desires to avoid wetting the hair.

Still again for infants or children the ordinary style of shower bath is inadvisable, and means should be provided for obtaining the effects of a shower bath in a different manner.

For conditions such as strains, inflammation caused by falls or bruises, over-eating, over-drinking, loss of sleep, over-training for athletic purposes, straining of the muscular system in athletic sports or otherwise, such as strains known to athletes as charleyhorse, dislocations of tendons and the like, the bath should start with a mild hot shower, gradually strengthened to its fullest capacity. Then a. single, relatively large stream should be employed, which is gradually increased in heat and quantity, until it becomes as hot as the bather can bear and the stream is allowed to play upon the injured or strained parts of the body. After which it is shifted to the spinal column and gradually cooled to a blood heat. The stream should then be allowed to play upon the shoulders, upper chest and upper back of the bather. Then advisable, the bath should be followed by a rub-down.

Still again there are conditions which require a combination of a light single stream, accompanied by a light shower or by a mist or vapor, or which require various other combinations which can only be obtained by the use of this bath.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby the kinds of baths above mentioned, as well as others, and variations thereof, may be obtained.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view illustrating a shower bath constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view. Fig. 3 is a side view illustrating attachments that may be used.

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a rose or shower head formed of a hollow body having discharge orifices, the said body being secured to and surrounding a tubular carrier 11, theaded at one end, as indicated at 12, to engage the service pipe 13. Preferably the orifices of the shower head are relatively large near the center of the head, and gradually diminish in diameter as they approach the edge. Said carrier is provided with an enlarged annular chamber 14, having a valve seat 15 at its upper end, and a threaded mouth 16 at its lower end, the wall of said chamber being provided with openings 17. The threaded mouth 16 is engaged by the threaded portion 18 of a valve member 19, the latter being of proper diameter to form a space between the same and the wall of the chamber 14:. The lower end of the valve member 19 is provided with an enlargement having an internal annular chamber 20, which communicates with a central bore 21 by means of an opening 22. Said opening 22 is controlled by a valve 23. The top wall is preferably made substantially conical, as shown, and is provided with minute 'perforations 24:. The bore 21 coincides with the bore of carrier 11. The lower end of the bore 21 is threaded to engage a correspondingly threaded portion of a nozzle 25 controlled by a valve 26 of any suitable construction. If desired the lower end of the nozzle 25 may be threaded to engage a coupling member 27 which cooperates with a second coupling member 28 to support the ball end of a nose or supplemental nozzle 29, whereby the latter is capable of substantially universal movement. By means of the universal nozzle a hose or tube 30, provided with a rose or shower head 31 may be read ily attached to the shower bath, when it is desirable to a ply the water to different parts of the body.

It is desirable that means be provided for supporting or retaining soap within convenient reach of the person using the shower bath. For this purpose I secure spaced arms 32 to the top of the shower head, and to said arms is pivotally secured a soap dish 33. In case it is desired to use liquid soap I provide an arm 84: with a split sleeve 35, which embraces a bottle or other receptacle 36 provided with a valve 37. The sleeve 35 is provided with oppositely disposed abutments 38 engaged by bolt and nut 39, by means of which said sleeve may be made to tightly clasp said bottle.

In practice, the service pipe is controlled by a suitable valve in any preferred manner so as to supply hot or cold water, or a mixture thereof in the ordinary way. Before turning on the water the valve member 19 may be screwed up so as to cause the upper end thereof to contact with the valve seat 15, and the valve 26 is closed. In this connection it will be noted that the bore of the carrier 11, the bore of the valve member 19 and the nozzle 25 constitute a continuous conduit, and when the valve abuts against seat 15, water can only flow through this conduit. After the water is permitted to enter the service pipe the valve 23 may be opened to permit water to pass through the opening 22 into the chamber 20, whereupon the water is forced through the orifices 241 in minute streams, causing the water to beat against the lower surface of the shower head which a acts as a baflle, and to fall in the form of a mist or vapor. may be closed and the valve member turned or moved out of engagement with the valve seat 15, whereupon the water will pass around the valve member into chamber 1% and from the latter, through openings 17 into the shower head 10, causing the water to be discharged in the ordinary way. Finally the valve member may be seated against the valve seat 15 and the valve 26 then operated to permit a small stream of water to be discharged from the nozzle 25. This stream may be shutoff at will by means of the valve 26.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the bath may be started with a slight shower by operating the valve member 19 to permit the water to enter the shower head, which shower may be continued at any desired temperature as long as may be desired. By again seating the valve member 19 against its seat 15 the water is shut off from the shower head 10 and enters the conduit 21,

and upon the valve 23 being unseated the water will pass through the openings 2 and direct against the under surface of the shower head, falling in the form of a mist or vapor. At the same time the valve 26 or 19 may be opened to permit a slow dropping of water so that soap may be used without being washed off the body. After the body is cleansed a strong warm shower should follow and this may be provided by again operating valve member 19 to permit the water to pass to the shower head. Following this the shower may again be closed 0i and a single stream of water allowed to pass out through the supplemental nozzle 29.

When desired the valve 23 4 It is obvious that the parts may be adjusted 13c as desired to provide the shower, or mist, or single stream. In some instances, where it is not desirable to bring the bath above the shoulders the bent extension arm 30 may be attached to the nozzle 25 by removing the supplemental nozzle 29. F or infants and children the straight extension arm 30 may be employed in the same manner.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what I claim is 1. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, and means for causing minute streams of water to impinge against the outer face of said shower head to form a mist or vapor.

2. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, a valve member extending into said shower head and controlling the supply of water thereto, said valve member being provided with means for discharging minute streams of water against the outer face of said shower head to form a mist or vapor.

3. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for dis charging water in the form of a spray, and a valve member controlling the supply of water to said shower head and provided with means for causing minute streams of water to impingeagainst the under face of said shower head.

4:. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, a valve member extending into said shower head and controlling the supply of water thereto, said valve member being provided with a discharge passage therethrough, and means connected with said passage for dis charging minute streams of water against the outer face of said shower head to form a mist or vapor.

5. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, a valve member extending into said shower head and controlling the supply of water thereto, said valve with a discharge passage therethrough, said valve member having an enlarged annular chamber communicating with said passage and provided with means for discharging minute streams of water against the outer face of said shower vapor.

6. An improvement in shower baths comhead to form a mist or prising a shower head having means for discharging water in the means for causing minute streams of water member being provided form of a spray,

to in'ipinge against the outer face of said shower head to form a mist or vapor, and means for discharging water in a single stream.

'7 An improvement in shower baths comprising a showerhead having means for dis charging water in the form of a spray, a, valve member extending into said shower head and controlling the supply of water thereto, said valve member being provided with a, discharge passage therethrough, means connected with said. passage for dis charging minute streams of water against the outer face of said shower head to form a mist or vapor, and a nozzle attached to said valve member for discharging water in a single stream.

S. An improvement in shower baths com prising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, a valve member controlling the supply of water to said shower head and provided with means located below said shower head for easing minute streams of water to impinge against the under face of said shower head, and means connected with said valve mem her for discharging water in a single stream.

9. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, a carrier member for said shower head provided with a valve seat within the shower head, and a valve member cooperating with said valve seat and having means for discharging minute streams of water against the outer face of said shower head to form a mist or vapor.

10. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for dis charging water in the form of a spray, a carrier member for said shower head provided with a valve seat, a valve member coope *ating with said valve seat and having a longitudinal bore and an annular chamber surrounding said bore and communicating therewith, said chamber being provided with jet orifices for directing streams of water against said shower head to form a mist or vapor, and a valve controlling the commu nication between said bore and said chamber.

11. An lmprovement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, a carrier member for said shower head pro vided with a valve seat, a valve member having one end cooperating with said valve seat and having means below the shower head for discharging water in the form of mist or vapor, and a nozzle connected with said valve member.

12. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for'discharging water in the form of a spray, a carrier member for said shower head provided with a valve seat, a valve member cooperating with said valve seat and having a longitudinal bore, said valve seat also having means communicating with said bore for discharging water in the form of a mist or vapor, a valve controlling the discharge of water from said bore, a nozzle communicating w'th the bore of said valve member, and a valve controlling said nozzle.

13. An improvement in shower baths comprising a shower head having means for discharging water in the form of a spray, means for causing minute streams of water to impinge against the outer face of saidshower head to form a mist or vapor, and means for discharging water in a single stream, said spray, vapor and stream discharging means being operable independently or in combination, as may be desired.

M. An improvement in shower baths comprising a tubular carrier, a supply pipe communicating therewith, a valve member controlling the flow of water through the carrier and having means for discharging an annularly arranged series of minute streams of water, and means for providing a surface positioned to cause said streams of water to impinge thereagainst to break said streams up into a fine mist or vapor.

15. In a shower bath a supply pipe provided with a coupling portion having lateral discharge openings and an internal valve seat, a chamber surrounding said discharge openings, and a tubular valve stem extending into said coupling portion and having a valve at one end positioned to abut against said seat to control flow of water through said discharge openings, said valve and stem having a bore coinciding with the bore of the supply pipe at all times to per- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for mit flow of fluid therethrough irrespective of whether the valve is seated or not.

16. An improvement in shower baths comprising a tubular carrier, a supply pipe communicating therewith, a valve member controlling the flow of water through the carrier and having means for discharging an annularly arranged series of minute streams of water, means for providing a surface positioned to cause said streams of water to impinge thereagainst to break said streams up into a line mist or vapor, means for controlling the discharge of said minute streams, and means for controlling the outflow at the discharge end of said valve.

17. An improvement in shower baths comprising a tubular carrier provided with a valve seat, a shower head inclosing said carrier and communicating therewith, a tubular valve member having a reciprocating engagement with said carrier and provided at one end with a valve cooperating with said valve seat to control the communication between the shower head and the carrier, the bore of said tubular valve coinciding with the bore of the carrier to permit flow o1": fluid therethrough irrespective of whether the valve is seated or not, and a nozzle communicating with the bore of said valve and provided joint.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY s. BRICKELL.

Witnesses Josnrn A. BECK, A. M. SPAULDING.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

with a universal 

